


Arm Candy

by Galahard



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: M/M, School Reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-10
Updated: 2015-09-10
Packaged: 2018-04-20 01:19:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4768178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galahard/pseuds/Galahard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Eggsy's five year reunion rolls around and he asks Harry to be his pretend date. Harry asks why Eggsy doesn't take Roxy, but Eggsy insists it has to be him.</p><p>Harry assumes that Eggsy's classmates won't be impressed by Eggsy showing up with a middle aged man. But lo and behold, upon arrival half the early twenty somethings are swooning all over him while Eggsy puffs up proudly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Arm Candy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Corvin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corvin/gifts).



For a moment he waffled between ties, fingers caressing the textured silk gently. He had little doubt that Eggsy would choose the red and gold striped one, finding comfort and therefore confidence in the familiarity of it. That meant that he should choose something else, something to complement but not match exactly. Perhaps the textured but solid crimson tie, with a gold pocket square. Which meant his gold cufflinks, somewhat indulgent for a school reunion, but if he was going to go he was going to look as well as he could.

After all, he was old enough to be a chaperone, or a forgotten staff member. He’d tried to point that out to Eggsy, suggesting that Roxy would be a more logical partner if he wanted a friend to accompany him, but Eggsy had insisted he be the one to come along.

There was little he could deny his protégé, and the least he could do was dress to impress.

\---------

Even dressing to impress and knowing he would do whatever it took not to embarrass Eggsy couldn’t make him run on time. He never knew how it happened. He set a time to leave, left at that time, and minutes somehow slipped away. It produced the unfortunate effect of the young Kingsman looking anxious, glancing nervously at his watch as he approached the school gymnasium of all places.

Thankfully he looked up before Harry had to suffer the indignity of calling out or startling him, Eggsy’s nerves fading as a smile brightened his face as he straightened up out of a slouch they’d probably never train out of him fully. He cleaned up nicely, the bespoke suit fitting him so perfectly that for a moment Harry couldn’t imagine him in anything else, then his thoughts flashed to his more natural look. The young man that belonged on a street, eyes bright with intelligence and mischievousness, more than ready to scale a building or flip off a balcony for the simple thrill of it.

His mouth went dry at the thought of it, the freedom of it all almost as promising as Eggsy, the heady rush as he remembered that the young man in front of him embodied both, and could play either role flawlessly.

Today it was the put together young man, and Harry would ensure that he was shown off to the best of his advantage. And feel honoured that he was allowed to do so.

“Shall we?”

\---------

Eggsy’s training was impeccable, and Harry could sense without glancing over when he slipped into which ever role he’d chosen. He didn’t question it, strolling confidently into the sparsely decorated room, tables lining the edge of the room to leave a sort of dance floor in the center, people beginning to drift to their seats to await dinner when by the time they made it inside.

“Jamal said he saved us a place along the far wall,” Eggsy offered and Harry tilted his head in acknowledgment, simply matching Eggsy’s stride as they crossed the room. Surveying the room he could see eyes turning toward them, whispered conversations following them as they found their table, among the last to do so.

As promised two seats had been left open for them and he quickened his pace for the last few strides, reaching the chairs early enough to pull Eggsy’s out for him, catering to him before finding his own seat, Eggsy flashing him a thankful smile before starting a round of introductions. 

“So,” the woman sitting on his left said conversationally, leaning toward him in interest, eyes flickering over to Eggsy, “you’re a friend of Eggsy’s then?”

“More than that, I’d hope,” he offered, watching her make her own assumptions, eyes darkening, and trying to ignore the wistful bit of hope he had to stiffle. He was doing this for Eggsy, it wasn’t time to focus on his own desires.

Everyone else at the table seemed to have found someone to talk to, chatter rising around them, so he knew it was unlikely that anyone else overheard as she asked “are you living together?”

Years of training made this sort of questioning easy as he let a flash of a pout cross his features. “Unfortunately not. He’s stayed over a few times but work keeps him busy so nothing permanent so far.” The truth, but again, he let her make her own assumptions. “I was able to accompany him on a work trip to Barcelona a month ago, so I can’t complain about his job too much. Now then, is that young man your husband?”

He listened to her prattle on, eventually moving on to talk to some of the others at their table as he watched her take out her phone, thumbs flying over her phone rapidly as she sent and received what seemed like a multitude of texts. In fact, the longer she spent with her phone the more eyes it seemed turned to their table, lingering of him and Eggsy.

Fascinating.

\----------

By the time the main course arrived the conversation had turned from catching up to reminiscing, Ryan standing up to act out a prank they’d played on a teacher. Even though he hadn’t been there he was laughing, a chuckle added to the deep belly laughs and tears from those that had witnessed the act. Eggsy had leaned over, shoulder a comfortable weight on his arm as he turned his head away, quaking with laughter.

“Course Eggsy raises his fucking hand and asks if it’ll be on the bloody test,” Jamal added, sending the table into a fresh bout of hysterical laughter. He could feel himself smiling, knowing it was indulgent, and unable to ignore that it was entirely authentic. He’d come here for Eggsy, and he’d never suspected that he might be the one to benefit. “Don’t think I’d ever seen Langston that mad before, thought for sure he’d get expelled that time. Don’t know how he got off with a bloody detention.”

“Was Eggsy in trouble often?” he asked. He knew the answer, or some of it, Eggsy’s school record something that he’d gotten his hands on while still considering him for candidacy, but the details there were scarce at best.

He was rewarded with Eggsy groaning, trying to shush the others as their eyes gleamed, each one jumping at the chance to tell some tale of Eggsy’s past. Absentmindedly he speared a raw tomato off of his plate and transferred it over to Eggsy’s, collecting a mushroom in trade off of this plate as he turned his attention to a young man across the table that had somehow won the right to tell his story.

“So we had a chem lab…”

\----------

As they worked through their pudding someone started up music, tunes popular several years ago starting up, not that he recognized many of them. Few ventured to the dance floor, most keeping to their tables to finish their cheesecake or chocolate cake. Some began to mill around, exchanging pleasantries.

Most of their table had started to drift off when Eggsy excused himself to say hello to his physical education teacher, and for a brief moment Harry thought he’d have a chance to relax. Then Ryan slid over into Eggsy’s seat and Jamal sat in the seat on his other side, both of them leaning in.

It was a show of force, and if not for the fact that they were Eggsy’s friends he might have taken action. As it were he waited, curious to see what they’d come up with. 

“So, you’re the one Eggsy’s been telling us about.”

“Don’t look all that special.”

“Eggsy can do better.”

He could feel their scrutiny, and if it were for another reason there was a very real possibility he’d have them begging for forgiveness by now. As it was he simply raised an eyebrow, tolerating their rudeness in deference to their motive.

“I suppose I can’t disagree with that.”

He’d been the one to bring Eggsy in. He knew first hand what Eggsy was capable, what he was worthy of. Eggsy was worth far more than anything he had to offer.

His agreement seemed to only annoy them, mostly because they hadn’t expected it.

“We know who you are now,” Jamal pointed out needlessly, Ryan nodding before speaking up.

“If you do fucking _anything_ to hurt him…”

His words trailed off, intention clear, and Harry had to hide his amusement. The pair had no idea who they were threatening, or how little of a threat it really was. “I can see the two of you are good friends,” he offered. “Eggsy is lucky to have you two in his life. Now if you’ll excuse me.” He stood, feeling their eyes on them as he turned to seek out Eggsy.

\----------

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Eggsy’s voice was filled with apology, and Harry shook his head.

“It’s nothing, I was able to have a lovely chat with some of your friends.”

“Ah. Oh uh, Harry this is Elaine, she was in most of my classes growing up. And this is Kallie, she uh, well she caught me in the girl’s locker room once as a matter of fact. Elaine, Kallie, this is Harry Hart.” There was a note of pride in his voice, and Harry found himself smiling.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he shook their hands, watching their eyes dart down his body, and tried not to react. Then the song changed and it was all he could do not to grin, reaching a hand out to his date for the evening. “Eggsy, can I have this dance? Ladies, would you excuse us?”

He could hear them whispering as Eggsy took his hand and they moved over the dance floor. “Sorry, didn’t realize you wanted to dance,” Eggsy muttered.

“Not to the majority of what they’re playing, but I never assumed there would be a waltz in the mix. It’d be a shame to waste it.”

Most of the dancers that had been in the middle of the floor had deserted at the smooth tones, a few swaying here or there in an imitation of a dance. It was easy to slip into the roles of the dance, the simple steps and turns, the flourishes that added to the difficulty minutely but increased the presentation. It wasn’t long before a quick look confirmed that they had become the center of attention, most of those remaining moving off of the dance floor, and he basked in the attention.

Yet even more important was the faintest of flushes high on Eggsy’s cheeks.

“You wouldn’t believe what happened to me when you left to go socialize.” He spoke quietly into Eggsy’s ear, the words for him only, pausing for a moment before continuing. “You have good friends Eggsy, friends that are very invested in how I treat you.”

When he drew back the flush had grown, Eggsy’s ears scarlet. “They’re uh, they’re funny, yeah? Who knows where they come up with such shitty ideas.”

“I was rather hoping they’d gotten the idea from you.”

The words were out of his mouth before he’d fully thought them through, but now that they were there he refused to take them back, feeling the slightest of hesitation in Eggsy’s next step though the demands of the music kept him in motion.

“Harry, I,” Eggsy was looking up at him, hesitation in his voice, a battle of fear and desire in his eyes.

It left him with little choice and Harry refused to waste any more of his life on doubt. He was a Kingsman after all, who knew when the next mission would be his last.

He tilted his head down, leaning in slowly, enough that Eggsy would be able to avoid if he wanted to, covering Eggsy’s mouth with his own as the music ended.

The crash of the next song was enough to startle him enough to remind him they were in public and he pulled back reluctantly, meeting Eggsy’s eyes, searching for a sign that what he’d just done was nothing that the young man regretted.

“What the fuck are we doing wasting our time here?” Eggsy mused aloud, and he had to smile, basking in the bluntness.

“I’ve no idea, but we should probably go before we give them something to talk about at the next reunion.”


End file.
